Oh! My......

[cindahomaker]

I had no idea about how off the Ezzo ideas are....
I only faintly remember a parenting class we started and did not continue with at a church after my first was born and I was pg for ds #2.
I think they were promoting the Ezzos/ using their material, funny thing is that church was not conservitive!

Then I was attending a church for a while that we found to be calvinistic in nature and I can see the little I know about the Ezzos being more in line with calvinist thought. The pastors wife kept telling me about this great series of videos they had that she wanted to share with me.I wonder what their ( the Ezzos ) denominational beliefs are?

Any way thanks for thoses articles and links of warning about the Ezzos.

Also I see what is being said about how thought can permeate others thinking with out even knowing the source it comes from.

As a new mom I just couldn't understand the cio concept ...... many moms in my church at that time :dohhad that style of parenting.
Any way thanks for the great forums here!

[CelticJourney]

Welcome!!!

[mom2threePKs]

Glad you found us!

I wonder what their ( the Ezzos ) denominational beliefs are?


That's a good question. They've mostly come from non-denominational churches but I'm not sure what the theological bent of those churches was. Maybe someone else can answer that...

magan

[TulipMama]

To get an idea of the history/context of Ezzo's teachings I recommend this timeline:
http://ezzo.info/Timeline/timeline1.htm


His teachings developed while he was at Grace Community Church (John MacArthur (http://theopedia.com/John_MacArthur) / Phil Johnson (http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/bookmark.htm).) My understanding of that church is that it would be considered evangelical, leaning-calvinist, leaning-dispensational, leaning-baptist. GCC elders attempted to hold Gary Ezzo accountable, raised concerns about his teachings, and have publicly stated their non-support of his teachings. Ezzo left that church.

Gary Ezzo was excommunicated from his next church (http://www.ezzo.info/LHEF/lhef_nov_2000.htm), Living Hope Evangelical Fellowship, for similar issues. I do not know what its beliefs are, apart from being evangelical and taking church discipline seriously.

Ezzo then attended another church in California, and the name escapes me at the moment. To my knowledge, he did not come under church discipline there and my understanding is he was endorsed by them to his current church, Seacoast. I do not know the beliefs of that church (though, I think its name starts with an M! *L*)

He is currently attending and publicly defended by at least some of the pastors of Seacoast (http://www.seacoastchurch.com/), a multi-campus, seeker-sensitive, mega-church. A friend who has visited there said Gary and Anne Marie have been "greeters" there and handed out promotional materials for the GFI courses. Many GFI classes are taught via people at that church, and the Ezzos have been staunchly defended by several in the church. When I enquired of one of the pastors about the unresolved church discipline, I got no response. When I enquired of another, he said that they were satisfied by what the previous church said (and was dismissive of the issues still unresolved with GCC and LHEF.) My understanding is that Seacoast does not have a board of elders, so I am not sure of what structure they have in place for accountability and church discipline issues. (I get the feeling that church discipline is not something that is taken as seriously there as it is in other churches. . .)

Soooo. . . all that to say. . . I don't know Gary Ezzo's personal theological or doctrinal beliefs. But the churches he's attended may give a glimpse of where he has felt comfortable through the years.

[TulipMama]

While I can't speak to Ezzo's personal beliefs, his writings show many theological concerns.

To begin with, Ezzo shows a lack of respect for the Scriptures, in that he is either misusing the Bible (http://ourworld.cs.com/kent1750/GKGW/mishandling2.htm) or just being sloppy with his hermenuetics.

Also, while I want to assume that Ezzo really does believe that Christ alone atones for our sins, that isn't what he writes (http://www.tulipgirl.com/mt/archives/000598.html):
"A child knows when he has broken the rules, and his guilt continually reminds him of his violation. Guilt is the reminder of sin. Chastisement (Ezzo's term for spanking) is the price paid to remove the guilt thus [sic] free the child from his burden. If the parents do not remove the guilt, the child lives under the weight of sin. When an offense calls for chastisement, parents should chastise. If they substitute a lesser punishment, the guilt remains, and the child will suppress it. That, in turn, leads to more antisocial behavior." (GKGW p. 212)

While someone could defend Ezzo with stating he simply wasn't being clear in his writing and was referring merely to feelings of guilt, what is lacking in Ezzo's teachings overall is an emphasis on our children as sinners in need of a Saviour--not sinners in need of a schedule.

And just to throw this in, there are serious differences between Ezzo's teachings and Reformed teachings (http://www.fix.net/~rprewett/ezzo-calvin.html), even if that may have been his background.


Hope this helps!

[anitajoye]

...what is lacking in Ezzo's teachings overall is an emphasis on our children as sinners in need of a Saviour--not sinners in need of a schedule.

And just to throw this in, there are serious differences between Ezzo's teachings and Reformed teachings (http://www.fix.net/~rprewett/ezzo-calvin.html), even if that may have been his background.


Hope this helps!



I want to say Grace Community is a good church and it says something about them that he was 'put out' of it, I think it says a good thing about them!
I am reformed (also called Calvinistic by some) and I can't stand the Ezzos. They are inconsistent with the reformed faith.
I think its very interesting that they now find themselves in a church that *probably* does not practice church discipline and from what was posted earlier is the anti-thesis of what Grace Community is.